Can Not Buying Clothes Help You Lose Weight?

There’s a side effect to not buying any new clothes – you lose weight.  How is this possible?  Is it cause and effect?  Is it magic?  Is the universe rewarding me?
 
No.  Simply put you lose weight because you have this epiphany, “I can’t gain weight because I can’t buy different sizes.”
 
Ok so maybe I don’t have the science to back this hypothesis up, but it’s what has started happing to me.  I put on a pair of jeans I haven’t worn in a while (cause remember I need to start wearing ALL of my wardrobe) and they were tight.  And not just slightly tight but more like “Oh Dear Lord I Am In Pain” tight.  And then it occurs to, “I need to wear these jeans for the next year!”   Dang.
 
That’s how it happened.  I made myself wear those jeans the whole day and it was a painful reminder of my commitment to not buying clothes this year (and a reminder of how lazy I’ve been with food lately). 
 
But isn’t this something we ALL do?  Raise your hand if you have more than 3 sizes in your closet right now.  Have you started to add a 4th size in there as well?  I don’t know about you but I REFUSE to do that anymore!  I’m NOT buying any new clothes this year and I’m NOT buying a larger size again!
 
Say this with me, “I will wear the clothes I have and if they get snug, I will skip the donut for breakfast!”
 
I don’t say all this to make you feel about yourself (or to make me feel bad about myself), I’m saying it because it’s something we’ve all been “trained” to do.  If it doesn’t fit, then go get a bigger size.  Easy.  But what size are we now and what size to do we buy?  The clothing industry has gone SO crazy with vanity sizing that we don’t even know what size we truly are anymore.  Here are some cold hard facts for you:
 
A size 8 dress today is nearly the equivalent of a size 16 dress in 1958. And a size 8 dress of 1958 doesn't even have a modern-day equivalent — the waist and bust measurements of a Mad Men-era 8 come in smaller than today's size 00.  There is NO industry standard today and manufactures define sizes as they see fit. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/08/11/the-absurdity-of-womens-clothing-sizes-in-one-chart/?utm_term=.3ea58b2df963)
 
While Americans are getting bigger or clothing sizes are getting smaller.  Does this make any sense???  I know there are several of you who have decided to take this year off from buying new clothes as well and I’m curious if you have come to this weight/size conclusion yet.  If you have, let me know.  I’d love to hear if you’re diet has been effected by your buying restrictions.
 
On a side note: I’ve worn those jeans 3 times now and they have been a little less tight each time.  I feel like this has been a HUGE win for me and I’m excited to see what other pieces of my wardrobe I’ll be fitting into by the end of the year.